Fabric Fence System

ABSTRACT

A fabric fence system and method of manufacturing the fabric fence system is disclosed. The fence system has posts that are laterally spaced from one another with a fence fabric positioned between the posts. The fence fabric has end protrusions that are inserted into the sides of the fence posts and held in place by an offset retainer rod inserted into the hollow inner portion of the post such that the offset retainer rod engages the protrusions of the fence fabric. The fence system also includes top and bottom cross members into which the top and bottom portion of the fence fabric are inserted and attached to provide a panelized fence system.

[0001] NOTICE OF COPYRIGHTS AND TRADE DRESS

[0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document containsmaterial which is subject to copyright protection. This patent documentmay show and/or describe matter which is or may become trade dress ofthe owner. The copyright and trade dress owner has no objection to thefacsimile reproduction by any one of the patent disclosure, as itappears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, butotherwise reserves all copyright and trade dress rights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0003] This invention relates generally to fence systems. Morespecifically, the present invention relates to a fence system thatcombines polymer structural components with a fence fabric to form fencepanels.

[0004] Wire mesh fences, also commonly called chain link fences, arewidely utilized throughout the country today. The fences are strong andconsist of metal fence posts to which wire mesh is attached.

[0005] To install a chain link fence, the fence post is first installed,customarily by encasing it in concrete below ground level. The chainlink fabric is stretched taut between posts and the fabric is attachedto the post by the bands. Additionally, tension bands and stretcher barsmay be included. Intermediate support, if needed, is provided byadditional posts, commonly referred to as line posts. In addition, braceassemblies are required in some fence applications and these assembliesoccur at the terminal posts.

[0006] There are, however, many disadvantages to conventional chain linkfencing systems. Chief among these is the problem of attaching fencefabric to the fence post. These conventional methods employ a multitudeof small parts including tension bands, brace bands, stretcher bars andassorted nuts and bolts. The tension bands are inserted into the end ofthe mesh and attached to the exterior of the post using the bands, nutsand bolts. Along the length of the fence mesh the mesh must be attachedto the cross members using several ties (typically metal) to prevent themesh from sagging. The ties are bent partially around the cross bar andeach end is twisted around a strand of the fence material to secure thematerial to the cross bar and to intermediate posts. The ends of thewire ties are sharp and occasionally pose a safety hazard to those thatcome in contact with these exposed ends.

[0007] Thus, the installation of these fences is performed almostuniversally by professionals, and is relatively expensive because of thelabor involved and the multitude of parts that the installer mustinventory.

[0008] In an effort to simplify installation by reducing the partsneeded, some proposals have been made to interweave wire meshing withthe post itself. U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,527 to Uroshevich is an example ofthis application. Another is Ashworth et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,370,836.These references, however, have not truly solved the problem. It hasbeen found that the interweaving of the chain link fencing mesh isdifficult because of the inherent strength of the material, and that thefinished job has frequently stretched the metal into an unsightlyappearance.

[0009] There are several other patents which disclose other fencesystems which purport to including means for easy assembly.

[0010] Engstrom, U.S. Pat. No. 751,622 discloses a fence post having arecessed area for receiving a clamping rod. The clamping rod is held inplace by a plurality of eye-bolts through the eyes of which the clampingrod extends. Tightening of the nut of the eye-bolt draws the clampingrod into the recess, bending and clamping the wire runners therein.

[0011] Jones, U.S. Pat. No. 1,150,373 discloses a tubular fence posthaving retaining leaves struck outwardly to provide spaces between therespective retainers and the body of the tubular post. After the wiresare in position, a key or holder is inserted through the spaces to holdthe wire in place. The post shown is an intermediate post, not an end,corner or gate post, for a rectangular grid wire fence. The post is notdesigned for use as an end, corner or gate post and does not provide arecessed and protected connection.

[0012] Gerken, U.S. Pat. No. 1,160,709 discloses a fence post havingextending hooks and tongues for receiving a tie or retaining rod. Theposts are intermediate posts, not end, corner, or gate posts, and do notprovide a recess to receive and protect the rod.

[0013] James, U.S. Pat. No. 1,330,809 discloses a metallic fence post(intermediate post, not an end, corner, or gate post) which hasdepressed or concave grooved sections between straps or bands. Thestraps are used to secure single strand fencing, e.g. barbed wirefencing, by hog-ring clips and are not used for chain link fencing.

[0014] Ashworth et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,370,836 discloses a chain linkfence having an end, corner, or gate post or corner post with expandedstrips providing apertures with the same spacing as the fence links. Theend links of the fence are secured to the apertures provided by theexpanded strips by a serpentine wire interconnecting the end linksthereto.

[0015] Bishop, U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,303 discloses an intermediate (not anend, corner, or gate post) fence post having horizontal slots forreceiving individual wires of single strand wire fencing. A locking rodor wire is vertically extended between the wires and the interior of thepost to hold them in place.

[0016] Muckelrath, U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,882 discloses a metal post ofangle iron or hollow square construction having holes punched along thecorners thereof. The posts are intermediate posts for wire fencingcomprising a plurality of separate single strands. A retaining tie wireis placed through the hole after engagement with each individual fencewire and twisted to hold the wire in place.

[0017] In response to the limitations described above, Naegele et al.(assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated byreference) disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,471 a fabric fence systemhaving posts laterally spaced from one another with a fence fabricpositioned between the posts. The fence system also includes top andbottom cross members into which the top and bottom portion of the fencefabric are inserted and attached to provide a panelized fence system.End protrusions of the fence fabric are inserted into the sides of thefence posts and held in place by a rod having a hook at the top insertedinto the hollow inner portion of the post such that the rod engages theprotrusions of the fence fabric and the hook engages a slot in the topcross member.

[0018] Referring to Figures PA-1, it has been found that the rod PA114as disclosed in the Naegele et al. patent can not be easily displacedsufficiently to engage the hook PA804 into the top cross member slotPA802 if the rod PA114 is also engaged in the uppermost fabric endprotrusion PA808. A rod PA114 that has an elastic modulus sufficient toeffectively retain the top cross member PA106 after engagement in theslot PA802 is too stiff to allow effective engagement displacement whenthe rod PA814 is also retained by the uppermost fabric end protrusionPA808.

[0019] Accordingly, there remains a continuing need for improved methodsto fabricate fabric fencing systems. The present invention fulfills thisneed, and further provides related advantages.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0020] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, it is an object ofthe present invention to provide a fence system that offers ease ofinstallation; is easily packaged for resale stocking and portability; isan attractive improvement over standard chain link fence; requires lessparts than conventional chain link fence systems; requires lessmaintenance than conventional chain link fence systems; and providesmore security than typical rigid PVC fence or conventional chain linkfence systems.

[0021] The fence system comprises a first post and a second postlaterally spaced from one another by a predetermined distance, each posthaving a hollow portion along a length of the post; a first lower slotand a first upper slot in a first side portion of the post, the firstlower slot and the first upper slot substantially parallel to the lengthof the post; a first plurality of slots disposed between the first lowerslot and the first upper slot in the first side portion of the post; afirst cross member coupled between the first lower slot of the firstpost and the first lower slot of the second post; a second cross membercoupled between the first upper slot of the first post and the firstupper slot of the second post; a fabric extending between the first postand the second post, the fabric having a plurality of projections at afirst end of the fabric and a second end of the fabric, each of theplurality of projections extending through a respective one of theplurality of slots disposed in the first post and the second post; andan offset retainer rod inserted through at least one of the plurality ofprojections to couple the fabric to an inside portion of at least thefirst post.

[0022] The present invention also discloses a method for fabricating afence panel. The method comprises the steps of providing a first postand a second post, each post having a hollow portion; forming a lowerslot and an upper slot in a side portion of the post, the lower slot andthe upper slot substantially parallel to the length of the post; forminga plurality of slots disposed between the lower slot and the upper slotin the side portion of the post; coupling a first cross member betweenthe lower slot of the first post and the lower slot of the second post;extending a fabric between the first post and the second post, thefabric having a plurality of projections at a first end of the fabricand a second end of the fabric; inserting each of the plurality ofprojections of the fabric through a respective one of the plurality ofslots disposed in the first post and the second post; inserting anoffset retainer rod through at least one of the plurality of projectionsto couple the fabric to an inside portion of at least the first post;and coupling a second cross member between the upper slot of the firstpost and the upper slot of the second post.

[0023] According to another aspect of the invention, the fence fabric isattached to an inside portion of the upper and lower cross members.

[0024] According to still another aspect of the invention, adjacentcross members are attached to one another through a coupling plate.

[0025] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, theoffset retainer rod passes through a top portion of the lower crossmember and captures the lower cross member within the post.

[0026] According to a further aspect of the present invention, theoffset retainer rod is a metallic or polymer offset circular rod.

[0027] According to still another aspect of the invention, the crossmembers include a slot into which the fabric is inserted.

[0028] In yet another aspect of the invention, the retainer rod isstraight and the plurality of slots is offset from the post centerline.

[0029] Other aspects of the present invention will be apparent from thefollowing more detailed description of the preferred embodiments, takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by wayof example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030] The invention is best understood from the following detaileddescription when read in connection with the accompanying drawing. It isemphasized that, according to common practice, the various features ofthe drawing are not to scale. On the contrary, the dimensions of thevarious features are arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity.Included in the drawing are the following Figures:

[0031] Figure PA-1 is a view of a portion of the fence structure of theNaegele et al. fence system.

[0032]FIGS. 1A-1C are various views of a portion of a fence systemaccording to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0033]FIG. 2A is a cross sectional view of a cross member of a firstexemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1C;

[0034]FIG. 2B is a cross sectional view of a cross member of a second,preferred, exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1C;

[0035]FIGS. 3A-3F are illustrations of end, corner and intermediateposts of the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0036]FIG. 4 is a side view of the fence according to the firstexemplary embodiment adapted for a sloping grade;

[0037]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional end view of an intermediate post ofthe present invention detailing coupling between adjacent fencesections;

[0038]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional end view of an intermediate post ofthe present invention according to another exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention;

[0039]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional end view of an intermediate post ofthe present invention according to yet another exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention;

[0040]FIG. 8A is a side view of the offset retaining rod engaging thetop cross member;

[0041]FIG. 8B is an end view of the offset retaining rod engaging thetop cross member; and

[0042]FIGS. 9A and 9B are various views of a portion of a fence systemaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention using astraight rod.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043]FIG. 1A illustrates a section of the fence system according to afirst exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1A, fencesystem 100 is formed from posts 102, spaced apart from one another by apredetermined distance. This distance may be determined according to avariety of factors, such as the terrain at the installation site,customer requirements, industry standards and packaging considerations.Posts 102 may be made from a rigid polymer material such as PVC and mayhave a rectangular or square or substantially circular cross section.Post 102 has a hollow portion 102C to accommodate cross members 104, 106and fence fabric 108, discussed more fully below.

[0044] Lower cross member 104 is inserted into slots 116 (shown in FIG.1C) formed at a bottom portion of each post 102. Fence fabric 108, whichmay be, for example, a polymer coated chain link fence material, ispositioned between posts 102 and within slot 104A of lower cross member104. In addition, the polymer may be, for example, a vinyl coating.

[0045] As more clearly shown in FIG. 1B, posts 102 have a plurality ofslots 110 cut into at least one side of post 102. End portions or“elbows” 112 of fence fabric 108 are inserted into slots 110 to protrudeinto the hollow portion 102C of post 102. Slots 110 may be sized inaccordance with the gauge of the fence fabric 108 and are spaced tomatch the spacing between each of the elbows 112 of fence fabric 108.

[0046] An offset retainer rod 114, described in further detail below, isinserted through the top opening of post 102 and slides through theinside of protruded elbows 112 to retain fence fabric 108 to post 102.Offset retainer rod 114 may also be used to retain lower cross member104 to post 102 by insertion of offset retainer rod 114 through the topportion of lower cross member 104.

[0047] To complete the frame assembly of fence 100, upper cross member106 is inserted through top slots 118 formed at the upper portion ofposts 102. Cross member 106 may be inserted into slots 118 by slidingone end of upper cross member 106 into first post 102 until end 106B ofcross member 106 is clear to be inserted into second slot 118.

[0048] Optionally, upper portion of fence fabric 108 may be insertedinto a transverse slot 106A formed in upper cross member 106, or lowerportion of fence fabric 108 may be inserted into a transverse slot 104Aformed in lower cross member 106, or both upper and lower portions offence fabric 108 may be inserted into their respective transverse slots106A, 104A. Alternatively, upper and lower portions 108A of fence fabric108 may be fixed to the upper and lower cross members 104, 106 withfasteners 120, which may be, for example, self tapping screws or rivets.Fasteners 120 pass through upper or lower portion 108A of fence fabric108 and into support member 104C, 106C (shown in FIG. 2) of crossmembers 104, 106, respectively. Any effective combination of transverseslots 104A, 106A and fasteners may also be utilized.

[0049]FIGS. 2A and 2B are exemplary embodiments of the present inventionand show a cross-section of upper or lower cross members 104, 106. Crossmembers include support members 104B, 104C, 106B, 106C integrally formedwithin cross member 104, 106, respectively. These support members 104B,104C, 106B, 106C provide rigidity both torsionally and laterally tocross members 104, 106 and forms slot 104A, 106A mentioned above.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 2A, as a first alternative to fastening fencefabric 108 with fasteners 120 to cross member 104, 106, fence fabric 108may be formed with a modified “knuckle”108B at one or both of the upperand lower portions of the fence fabric 108. Knuckle 108B may be insertedinto transverse slot 104A, 106A by sliding fence fabric 108 alongtransverse slot 104A, 106A. The opening 104D, 106D in cross member 104,106 is dimensioned according to the thickness of the fence fabric 108such that fence fabric 108 fits snuggly within opening 104D, 106D.

[0051] Knuckles 108B of fence fabric 108 may be bent past the pointwhere they would be aligned to form a curled end. The spring of fencefabric 108 permits the curl to straighten as knuckles 108B are pushedinto transverse slot 104A, 106A. After knuckles 108B are inserted intotransverse slot 104A, 106A any force exerted to pull fence fabric 108out of transverse slot 104A, 106A will be countered by the curled end ofknuckle 108B acting on the inner surface of cross member 104, 106. Fencefabric 108 is thus locked into slot 104A, 106A without the need forauxiliary fasteners 120. The assembly of fence 100 may then proceed asdiscussed above in the first exemplary embodiment.

[0052] Referring to FIG. 2B, a second, preferred, alternative tofastening fence fabric 108 with fasteners 120 to cross member 104, 106,is to effectively dimension the width of transverse slot 104A, 106A suchthat opening 104D, 106D retentively engages fabric at point X aftersliding the fence fabric 108 along transverse slot 104A, 106A. Point Xis defined as the point of intersection of two strands of fence fabric108.

[0053] Top and bottom cross members 104, 106 are dimensionally sized tofit snugly within post slots 118, 116, thereby preventing lateralexpansion of slots 104A, 106A. After insertion of cross members 104, 106into post slots 118, 116, the spring like clamping action of thetransverse slot becomes locked in place to maintain effective retentionof fence fabric 108 at point X. The assembly of the fence 100 may thenproceed as discussed above in the first exemplary embodiment. In thismanner, the additional manufacturing expense of fabricating knuckle 108Band auxiliary fasteners 120 are avoided.

[0054] Referring back to FIG. 1, the structural integrity of fence 100may be enhanced by attaching coupling plate 122 to upper or lower crossmembers 104, 106 using fastener 120. The details of coupling plate 122are shown with reference to FIG. 5.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 5, coupling plate 122 fits within the hollowportion 102C of post 102 and preferably snuggly between opposite walls102A and 102B of post 102. Once attached with fasteners 120, couplingplate 120 prevents cross members 104, 106 from moving within slots 116,118.

[0056] Referring again to FIG. 1, to complete the assembly, a cap 124may be placed on the end of post 102 to prevent moisture and debris fromentering post 102 and to provide a finished appearance.

[0057] Although not illustrated in FIG. 1, it is understood thatadditional sections of fence 100 may be constructed in a linear ororthogonal manner to form an enclosure (not shown).

[0058] Referring to FIG. 6, it is also contemplated that adjacent fencesections may be set at a variety of angles by enlarging slots 116, 118in post 102 such that upper cross member 106 and lower cross member 104may be disposed in post 102 at an angle. Coupling plate 120 may also beused to secure the additional fence sections as is understood by one ofordinary skill in the art.

[0059]FIGS. 3A-3C are exemplary embodiments of posts 102 of the presentinvention. Although the posts depicted in FIG. 3A-3C have essentiallysquare or rectangular cross-sections, it is understood that posts 102may also have a circular cross section to accommodate irregular shaped(i.e. non-orthogonal) site conditions (see FIG. 7). It may also bedesirable to present different esthetics.

[0060]FIG. 3A illustrates a corner post 302, which has slots 304, 306formed within immediately adjacent side walls 308, 310, respectively.While slots 304, 306 may be substantially parallel to the length of post302, in the preferred embodiment the angle of slots 304, 306 aredetermined based on the angle of elbows 112 of fence fabric 108 (shownin FIG. 1). Preferably the angle of slots 304, 306 is between about 30Â°and 60Â° and preferably between about 40Â° and 50Â°, and most preferablyabout 45Â°. In addition, slots 304, 306 may have a downward slope to theright or to the left depending on fence fabric 108.

[0061]FIG. 3B illustrates a line post 320 in which slots 322, 324 areformed in opposite walls 326, 328, respectively.

[0062]FIG. 3C illustrates an end post 330 in which slots 322 are formedin only one wall 334. End post 330 may also be used as a transitionbetween the fence system and a gate system (not shown). Although notillustrated in FIGS. 3A-3C, it is understood that in addition to theslots to accommodate fence fabric 108, slots 116, 118 are also formed inthe respective posts below and above each set of slots, respectively.

[0063] In addition, although not shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, a post may haveslots 110, 116, 118, formed in 3 sides of the post or in all sides ofthe post, as desired, to accommodate a variety of customer needs.Furthermore as shown in FIG. 7, if a post having a circular crosssection is used, such as shown in, FIGS. 3D-3F, a fence configurationwhere a non-orthogonal fence layout is required, such as in irregularplots, may be accommodated. As shown in FIG. 7, in the case of acircular cross section post, coupling plate 122 may be formed withcurved ends if desired to fit within circular post 102.

[0064] Terrain that is sloped requires knowledge of the amount of grade(slope) to be accommodated so proper selection of vertical posts can bemade from a range of about 1% to 25% (standard) grade, although othergrades of slope may be accommodated as necessary. FIG. 4, illustrates afence 400 that accommodates a slopped terrain.

[0065] In FIG. 4, fence 400 is installed over sloping grade 404. Post402 has upper slots 406, 408 and lower slots 410, 412 offset from oneanother by a distance 414 consistent with the slope of grade 404. Thisarrangement of slots in post 402 preferably minimizes the space betweengrade 404 and the bottom of bottom rail 414. The result is a fence thathas a stepped or tiered arrangement. In all other aspects fence 400 isidentical to fence 100 shown in FIG. 1.

[0066] Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, offset retainer rod 114 comprises afirst substantially straight section 200 and a second substantiallystraight section 202 separated by an offset 204. First section 200 andsecond section 202 are substantially parallel. Angles Î± and Î² formingoffset 204 may be between about 15Â° and 90Â° and preferably betweenabout 30Â° and 60Â°, more preferably between about 40Â° and 50Â°, andmost preferably about 45Â°. While in the preferred embodiment, angles Î±and Î² are substantially equal, it is to be understood that they do nothave to be equal, preferably, so long as first section 200 and secondsection 202 are substantially parallel. While it is preferable for firstsection 200 and section 202 to be substantially parallel, it is notrequired, so long as first section 200 is able to effectivelyretentively engage slot 802, further described below.

[0067] Offset 204 is of a predetermined length to allow offset retainerrod 114 to be flexed sufficiently to clear upper cross member 106 so asto reversibly retentively engage slot 802, described below, while stillengaging uppermost protruding elbow 112 (FIG. 1A).

[0068] Offset retainer rod 114 may be, for example, a polymer rod, avinyl coated metallic rod, or a non-coated metallic rod. While in thepreferred embodiment offset retainer rod 114 is round in cross section,it is understood that it may be a cross section of any shape that willpermit effective flexing to clear the cross member and to seat withinslot 802, as described below. The cross sectional shape may be, forexample, substantially circular, oval, rectangular, hexagonal ortriangular.

[0069] Upper cross member 106 has slot 802 formed in both end portionsof upper cross member 106. Slot 802 is formed at a predetermineddistance from the end of cross member 106 and at a predeterminedlocation on cross member 106 so that offset retainer rod 114 may bedisplaced to engage and seat within slot 802 after engaging elbows 112.Slot 802 may, for example, be cut at a diagonal through cross memberlower edge 804, or into cross member side wall 806.

[0070] First straight section 200 of offset retainer rod 114 is insertedthrough the top opening of post 102 and slides through the inside ofprotruded elbows 112 to retain fence fabric 108 to post 102. After uppercross member 106 is inserted into upper slot 118 of post 102, secondstraight section 202 of offset retainer rod 114 is laterally displacedto engage and seat in slot 802, thereby capturing upper cross member 106within post 102.

[0071] This approach provides the benefit of greater structuralintegrity of fence 100. As mentioned above, offset retainer rod 114 mayalso be used to retain lower cross member 104 to post 102 by insertionof offset retainer rod 114 through the top portion of lower cross member104.

[0072] As is typical with most fence systems, entry points for an areaenclosed with a fence are desirable. It is contemplated that a gatesystem may be added to fence 100 by forming a gate in a similar manneras disclosed above with respect to the fence 100. The gate may havesimilar structural elements to those of fence 100 and scaled as requiredfor the particular application. The gate may be attached to post 102using, for example, conventional hinges or another means to allow thegate to open and close.

[0073]FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrates a second exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention, wherein the plurality of slots 910, top cross memberopening 906D and bottom cross member opening (not shown) are offset fromcross members 904, 906; and retainer rod 914 is straight. The offsetsallow retainer rod 914 to be flexed sufficiently to clear upper crossmember 906 so as to reversibly retentively engage slot 902, while stillengaging uppermost protruding elbow 912. In all other aspects, thisembodiment incorporating offset plurality of slots 910 and straightretainer rod 914 is identical to the embodiments described above.

[0074] Although the present invention has been described with referenceto exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, theappended claims should be construed to include other variants andembodiments of the invention which may be made by those skilled in theart without departing from the true spirit and scope of the presentinvention.

1. A fence system comprising: a first post and a second post laterallyspaced from one another by a predetermined distance, each post having ahollow portion along a length of the post, a first lower slot and afirst upper slot in a first side portion of the post, the first lowerslot and the first upper slot substantially parallel to the length ofthe post, and a plurality of third slots disposed between the firstlower slot and the first upper slot in the first side portion of thepost; a first cross member coupled between the first lower slot of thefirst post and the first lower slot of the second post; a second crossmember coupled between the first upper slot of the first post and thefirst upper slot of the second post, the second cross member having afurther slot formed at a predetermined distance from the end of thesecond cross member and at a predetermined location on the cross memberso that an offset retainer rod may be displaced to engage and seatwithin the further slot; a continuous fabric extending between the firstpost and the second post, the fabric having a plurality of projectionsat a first end of the fabric and a second end of the fabric, each of theplurality of projections extending through a respective one of theplurality of third slots disposed in the first post and the second post;a first section of an offset retainer rod inserted through at least oneof the plurality of projections at at least at a first end of the fabricto couple the fabric to an inside portion of at least the first post;and a second section of the offset retainer rod engaging the secondcross member further slot, wherein the first section and the secondsection are separated by an offset and the offset is of a predeterminedlength to allow the offset retainer rod to reversibly retentively engagethe second cross member further slot.
 2. The fence system according toclaim 1 wherein a first angle Î± and a second angle Î² forming theoffset are between about 15Â° and 90Â° and the offset retainer rod firstsection and second section are substantially parallel.
 3. The fencesystem according to claim 1 wherein a first angle Î± and a second angleÎ² forming the offset are between about 30Â° and 60Â° and the offsetretainer rod first section and second section are substantiallyparallel.
 4. The fence system according to claim 1 wherein a first angleÎ± and a second angle Î² forming the offset are about 45Â° and theoffset retainer rod first section and second section are substantiallyparallel.
 5. The fence system according to claim 1 wherein the pluralityof third slots are set at an angle with respect to the length of thepost.
 6. The fence system according to claim 5 wherein the angle of theplurality of third slots is between about 30Â° and 60Â°.
 7. The fencesystem according to claim 5 wherein the angle of the plurality of thirdslots is between about 40Â° and 50Â°.
 8. The fence system according toclaim 5 wherein the angle of the plurality of third slots is about 45Â°.9. The fence system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of thirdslots are substantially parallel to the length of the post.
 10. Thefence system according to claim 1, further comprising a fastener forattaching the fabric to at least one selected from the group consistingof an inside portion of the first cross member and an inside portion ofthe second cross member.
 11. The fence system according to claim 1wherein at least one selected from the group consisting of an upperportion and a lower portion of the fabric is retentively engaged in atransverse slot integrally fabricated into the first cross member andthe second cross member.
 12. The fence system according to claim 11wherein the fabric is retentively engaged in the transverse slot at apoint X on the fabric.
 13. The fence system according to claim 1 whereinthe first cross member and the second cross member are attached to thefirst post by a fastener and a plate, the plate positioned over thecross member and between opposite interior walls of the post, andcoupled to the cross member by the fastener.
 14. The fence systemaccording to claim 13 wherein the fastener is at least one selected fromthe group consisting of a screw and a rivet.
 15. The fence systemaccording to claim 1 wherein the offset retainer rod engages a topportion of the first cross member.
 16. The fence system according toclaim 1 wherein the offset retainer rod engages the top portion of thefirst cross member by passing through a top portion of the first crossmember and capturing the first cross member within the post.
 17. Thefence system according to claim 1 wherein the offset retainer rod has across section of a predetermined geometric shape to allow the offsetretainer rod to effectively flex to clear the second cross member toengage the second cross member further slot.
 18. The fence systemaccording to claim 17 wherein the offset retainer rod has a crosssection selected from the group consisting of a substantially circular,oval, rectangular, hexagonal and triangular cross section.
 19. The fencesystem according to claim 1 wherein the second cross member further slotis fabricated at a location on the second cross member selected from oneof the group consisting of a cut at a diagonal through a second crossmember lower edge and a cut into a second cross member side wall. 20.The fence system according to claim 1 wherein the offset retainer rod isselected from the group consisting of a metallic rod, a vinyl coatedmetallic rod and a polymer rod.
 21. The fence system according to claim1 further comprising a cap positioned over a top end portion of thepost.
 22. The fence system according to claim 1 wherein at least oneselected from the group consisting of the first cross member and thesecond cross member includes a support member disposed along a length ofthe respective cross member.
 23. The fence system according to claim 1wherein the first post further includes a second lower slot and a secondupper slot formed in a further side portion of the first post, thefurther side portion being either adjacent or opposite the first sideportion of the first post, and a second plurality of third slotsdisposed between the second lower slot and the second upper slot. 24.The fence system according to claim 23 wherein the second lower slot andthe second upper slot are laterally offset from the first lower slot andthe first upper slot, respectively, by a predetermined distance.
 25. Thefence system according to claim 23 wherein the second lower slot and thesecond upper slot are laterally offset form the first lower slot and thefirst upper slot, respectively, based on a grade of an installationsite.
 26. The fence system according to claim 1 wherein the fabric is apolymer coated chain link fence material.
 27. The fence system accordingto claim 1 wherein, any one or more of the posts, first cross member,and second cross member have a cross section selected from the groupconsisting of at least one of a substantially circular, rectangular andsquare cross section.
 28. The fence system according to claim 1 whereinthe first post, second post, first cross member and second cross memberare a polymer material.
 29. The fence system according to claim 1wherein the polymer material is a rigid PVC material.
 30. A method forfabricating a fence panel, the method comprising the steps of: (a)providing a first post and a second post, each post having a hollowportion, (b) forming a lower slot and an upper slot in a side portion ofthe post, the lower slot and the upper slot substantially parallel tothe length of the post, (c) forming a first plurality of slots disposedbetween the lower slot and the upper slot in the side portion of thepost, (d) coupling a first cross member between the lower slot of thefirst post and the lower slot of the second post, (e) extending a fencefabric between the first post and the second post, the fabric having aplurality of projections at a first end of the fence fabric and a secondend of the fence fabric, (f) inserting each of the plurality ofprojections of the fence fabric through a respective one of theplurality of slots disposed in the first post and the second post; (g)inserting a first section of an offset retainer rod through at least oneof the plurality of projections at at least the first end of the fencefabric to couple the fence fabric to an inside portion of at least thefirst post; (h) forming a slot in a side portion of a second crossmember proximate to an end of the second cross member, and (j) engaginga second section of the offset retainer rod with the slot to couple thesecond cross member between the upper slot of the first post, whereinthe first section and the second section are separated by an offset, theoffset of a predetermined length to allow the offset retainer rod toreversibly retentively engage the second cross member slot.
 31. Themethod according to claim 30 wherein the first section and secondsection are substantially parallel.
 32. The method according to claim 30wherein the plurality of third slots are set at an angle with respectthe length of the post.
 33. The method according to claim 30 wherein theplurality of third slots are substantially parallel to the length of thepost.
 34. The method according to claim 30 further comprising the stepof attaching the fence fabric to at least one selected from the groupconsisting of an inside portion of the first cross member and an insideportion of the second cross member.
 35. The method according to claim30, further comprising the step of coupling with the offset retainer rodthe second cross member to at least one selected from the groupconsisting of the first post and the second post.
 36. The fence systemproduced by the method of claim
 30. 37. A fence system comprising: afirst post and a second post laterally spaced from one another by apredetermined distance, each post having a hollow portion along a lengthof the post, a first lower slot and a first upper slot in a first sideportion of the post, the first lower slot and the first upper slotsubstantially parallel to the length of the post, and a plurality ofthird slots disposed between the first lower slot and the first upperslot in the first side portion of the post, wherein the plurality ofslots are offset from the vertical centerline of the post; a first crossmember coupled between the first lower slot of the first post and thefirst lower slot of the second post; a second cross member coupledbetween the first upper slot of the first post and the first upper slotof the second post, the second cross member having a further slot formedat a predetermined distance from the end of the second cross member andat a predetermined location on the cross member so that a retainer rodmay be displaced to engage and seat within the further slot; acontinuous fabric extending between the first post and the second post,the fabric having a plurality of projections at a first end of thefabric and a second end of the fabric, each of the plurality ofprojections extending through a respective one of the plurality of thirdslots disposed in the first post and the second post; the retainer rodinserted through at least one of the plurality of projections at atleast at a first end of the fabric to couple the fabric to an insideportion of at least the first post, the retainer rod further engagingthe second cross member further slot.
 38. The fence system according toclaim 37 wherein the plurality of third slots are substantially parallelto the length of the post.
 39. The fence system according to claim 37wherein the plurality of third slots are set at an angle with respect tothe length of the post.
 40. The fence system according to claim 39wherein the angle of the third slots is between about 30Â° and 60Â°. 41.The fence system according to claim 39 wherein the angle of the thirdslots is between about 40Â° and 50Â°.
 42. The fence system according toclaim 39 wherein the angle of the third slots is about 45Â°.
 43. Thefence system according to claim 37, further comprising a fastener forattaching the fabric to at least one selected from the group consistingof an inside portion of the first cross member and an inside portion ofthe second cross member.
 44. The fence system according to claim 37wherein at least one selected from the group consisting of an upperportion and a lower portion of the fabric is retentively engaged in atransverse slot integrally fabricated into the first cross member andthe second cross member.
 45. The fence system according to claim 44wherein the fabric is retentively engaged at a point X on the fabric.46. The fence system according to claim 37 wherein the first crossmember and the second cross member are attached to the first post by afastener and a plate, the plate positioned over the cross member andbetween opposite interior walls of the post, and coupled to the crossmember by the fastener.
 47. The fence system according to claim 46wherein the fastener is at least one selected from the group consistingof a screw and a rivet.
 48. The fence system according to claim 37wherein the retainer rod engages a top portion of the first crossmember.
 49. The fence system according to claim 37 wherein the retainerrod engages the top portion of the first cross member by passing througha top portion of the first cross member and capturing the first crossmember within the post.
 50. The fence system according to claim 37wherein the retainer rod has a cross section of a predeterminedgeometric shape to allow the offset retainer rod to effectively flex toclear the second cross member to engage the second cross member furtherslot.
 51. The fence system according to claim 50 wherein the retainerrod has a cross section selected from the group consisting of asubstantially circular, oval, rectangular, hexagonal and triangularcross section.
 52. The fence system according to claim 37 wherein thesecond cross member further slot is fabricated at a location on thesecond cross member selected from one of the group consisting of a cutat a diagonal through a second cross member lower edge and a cut into asecond cross member side wall.
 53. The fence system according to claim37 wherein the retainer rod is selected from the group consisting of ametallic rod, a vinyl coated metallic rod and a polymer rod.
 54. Thefence system according to claim 37 further comprising a cap positionedover a top end portion of the post.
 55. The fence system according toclaim 37 wherein at least one selected from the group consisting of thefirst cross member and the second cross member includes a support memberdisposed along a length of the respective cross member.
 56. The fencesystem according to claim 37 wherein the first post further includes asecond lower slot and a second upper slot formed in a further sideportion of the first post, the further side portion being eitheradjacent or opposite the first side portion of the first post, and asecond plurality of third slots disposed between the second lower slotand the second upper slot.
 57. The fence system according to claim 56wherein the second lower slot and the second upper slot are laterallyoffset from the first lower slot and the first upper slot, respectively,by a predetermined distance.
 58. The fence system according to claim 56wherein the second lower slot and the second upper slot are laterallyoffset form the first lower slot and the first upper slot, respectively,based on a grade of an installation site.
 59. The fence system accordingto claim 37 wherein the fabric is a polymer coated chain link fencematerial.
 60. The fence system according to claim 37 wherein, any one ormore of the posts, first cross member, and second cross member have across section selected from the group consisting of at least one of asubstantially circular, rectangular and square cross section.
 61. Thefence system according to claim 37 wherein the first post, second post,first cross member and second cross member are a polymer material. 62.The fence system according to claim 37 wherein the polymer material is arigid PVC material.
 63. A method for fabricating a fence panel, themethod comprising the steps of: (a) providing a first post and a secondpost, each post having a hollow portion, (b) forming a lower slot and anupper slot in a side portion of the post, the lower slot and the upperslot substantially parallel to the length of the post, (c) forming aplurality of slots disposed between the lower slot and the upper slot inthe side portion of the post, wherein the plurality of slots are offsetfrom the vertical centerline of post, (d) coupling a first cross memberbetween the lower slot of the first post and the lower slot of thesecond post, (e) extending a fence fabric between the first post and thesecond post, the fabric having a plurality of projections at a first endof the fence fabric and a second end of the fence fabric, (f) insertingeach of the plurality of projections of the fence fabric through arespective one of the plurality of slots disposed in the first post andthe second post; (g) inserting a retainer rod through at least one ofthe plurality of projections at at least the first end of the fencefabric to couple the fence fabric to an inside portion of at least thefirst post; (h) forming a slot in a side portion of a second crossmember proximate to an end of the second cross member, and (j) engagingthe retainer rod with the slot to couple the second cross member betweenthe upper slot of the first post to reversibly retentively engage thesecond cross member slot.
 64. The method according to claim 63 whereinthe plurality of third slots are set at an angle with respect the lengthof the post.
 65. The method according to claim 63 wherein the pluralityof third slots are substantially parallel to the length of the post. 66.The method according to claim 63 further comprising the step ofattaching the fence fabric to at least one selected from the groupconsisting of an inside portion of the first cross member and an insideportion of the second cross member.
 67. The method according to claim63, further comprising the step of coupling with the retainer rod thesecond cross member to at least one selected from the group consistingof the first post and the second post.
 68. The fence system produced bythe method of claim 63.